


Whatever it takes

by AngelynMoon



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Artist Steve Rogers, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), De-Serumed Steve Rogers, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt/Comfort, I mean I broke it a lot first but we got there, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Mild Gore, POV Steve Rogers, POV Tony Stark, Sad, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23114914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelynMoon/pseuds/AngelynMoon
Summary: In which Thanos takes the Serum away from Steve.This fic was inspired by a fanart/concept on tumblr which was by growingpaynes-art.I don't know how to link it but if they find this and want me to take it down i will, but i was inspired by the idea and wrote this.If this needs more tags let me know.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Avengers Team, Steve Rogers & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 160





	1. Chapter 1

This fic was inspired by a fanart/concept on tumblr which was by growingpaynes-art.

I don't know how to link it but if they find this and want me to take it down i will, but i was inspired by the idea and wrote this.

\---

He's the last one standing, somehow it feels like he's always the last one standing even when he shouldn't be.

Thanos had thrown both Thor and Tony far from them.

Steve knows that they'll be back to help but for a moment he's just one man, standing up on shaky legs, Shield broken.

Thanos looks at him and then Steve hears Sam in his ear and suddenly they have an army to match Thanos' and Steve isn't alone, maybe he never really was.

And he fights, Thor's Hammer in one hand, Shield in the other. It's easy, even when, for a moment the Hammer is replaced by the Axe.

But then there is the Gauntlet and they are so close and Thanos throws them and Steve gets back up near instantly.

And Thanos looks at him, tilts his head as he swaps Thor and Tony away like nothing and something changes.

Steve changes, feels different, lungs tightening, the Shield getting heavier and Steve knows, he knows that Thanos has removed the Serum from his blood, undone what Dr. Erskine and Howard had done to him, how doesn't matter, it doesn't, whatever it takes, Steve remembers saying.

Thanos shifts to stare down at Steve, small and fragile, like he never expected to be again.

"You can walk away." Thanos tells him in the sudden stillness, the sounds of battle dim because Steve was part deaf again, "I'll let you."

And Steve believes him, even though it won't change Thanos' choice to destroy the universe, the other being will let Steve walk away from the battlefield, he'll let Steve run.

But Steve has never once run from a fight, not even when this body was all he'd ever known.

Steve looks at the Shield, heavy and broken on his arm, remembers when it was a trashcan lid and he smiles and he looks at Thanos.

"I don't like bullies." Steve tells him.

And he fights, it's useless really, trying to do anything, and they both know it. Steve's not strong enough to stop anything Thanos tries to do, Steve knows that, but he's a good distraction as he throws a useless punch, feels Thanos crush his fist, feels the bones shatter, feels his sternum give way and his ribs breaking as Thanos punches him away.

Steve feels something in his back break as he lands, feels something shift painfully as he stands up again.

He bites back a cry of pain as he rises.

And Thanos' eyes are still on him, staring at him in confusion as Steve gets up, dropping the Shield because it's too heavy and Steve can't really feel his arms anyway as he lifts them up, hands curled into fists.

"I can do this all day." Steve says, a hitch in his voice because his chest hurts and he coughs and the taste in his mouth is blood.

But Thanos' eyes are still on him and Tony has the Stones now and Steve grins bloody and it's so familiar.

And it's okay, whatever it takes.

Thanos stares at him for a moment longer before deciding to ignore him, and maybe when he was young and dumb Steve would take offence but Tony's got this and Steve can only watch him win for them.

Thanos turns to Tony, who has paused to stare at Steve, small and still ready to fight a fight he can't win.

Thanos shifts his empty Gauntlet on his hand and raises it up and stares at Tony.

"I am inevitable." Thanos tells them.

And Steve locks his shaky legs because he's not going to fall until this is over, not until Thanos is dead.

Tony smiles as Thanos snaps and nothing happens.

"And I am Ironman." And Tony gives a snap of his own and Thanos' army falls into dust and finally Thanos himself.

Steve tries to breath a sigh of relief but he chokes and gags on the blood in his throat and mouth.

Steve hears a shout, sees Tony throw the Gauntlet on the ground and feels his hands grabbing his shoulders and Tony's arm is across his chest as Steve goes down.

Steve's knees hit the ground and it almost doesn't hurt.

It should, Steve knows it should.

"Cap'!" Tony shouts and Steve coughs out a laugh and blood lands on Tony's arm and wow, his blood is the same red as the suit.

"Not Captain... America... 'Nymore." Steve chokes out, "No serum."

And Tony is shifting him around, Steve supposes the man is trying to help Steve breath easier but Steve can tell it's useless.

His rib bones have shifted or maybe Thanos just hit that hard but one of his ribs has punctured a lung, Steve remembers the feeling.

"Steve!" Bucky's voice shouts and it startles Steve.

He jerks and it hurts and he wonders if maybe he'd lost consciousness for a moment as he chokes out blood and sees Bucky running across the field towards them as Steve leans against Tony's chest, the man isn't wearing the suit anymore and Steve doesn't remember when it vanished.

Steve has a feeling that Tony is afraid of moving him, probably wise.

Bucky falls to his knees next to them and Steve has to give him a smile, bloody and wide because Bucky's okay, he's back and alive and okay.

"Buck." Steve coughs, fresh blood filling his mouth as he takes a shaky breath, Steve swallows it back down because he's not going to let Bucky see how bad it is.

And it's bad.

Steve can hear Tony talking over them, maybe to that Strange guy but Steve doesn't care.

He doesn't, because Bucky takes his hand, the one Thanos didn't ruin,bin his hand gently, careful not to jar Steve in Tony's hold.

Steve focused on Bucky's face, the worried frown and tear filled eyes.

"I had...had him... on the... Ropes." Steve forces out because he wants Bucky to smile at him, doesn't want that worried frown to be the last thing he sees.

"Sure you did." Bucky forces out his own laugh and scrubs at his eyes with his metal hand, his flesh one holding Steve's tightly.

But Steve can't feel it anymore, he knows it only because he sees it and he misses the colors the Serum gave him, it had made Bucky so much brighter and Steve misses seeing all the colors that had danced in Bucky's eyes.

Steve coughs again and this time he can' swallow the blood in his mouth, feels it spilling out over his lips and he chokes a little on the blood in his throat, gagging a bit.

Tony shifts him at the same time Bucky moves to help him sit up a little to help him breath, for a few minutes it works, he breaths easier but it's temporary.

Tony moves away, still talking to someone, or maybe he's yelling, Steve can't tell, but he sees orange ghost over his skin but it doesn't matter because he's in Bucky's arms, he's in Bucky's arms again, something he never thought he'd get again.

The metal arm is against his back, Steve knows this because it doesn't give like a real arm and it's firm across his shoulders and the flesh hand is still holding his hand, Steve wishes he could still feel it.

There is someone holding his head up, someone has to be because Steve's not doing it, he thinks it might be Sam and Steve is grateful because he can look at Bucky's face instead of his head resting on Bucky's shoulder.

For a moment too long Steve's eyes close.

"Hey! Hey! Steve, Stevie, look at me. Stevie, come on." Bucky's panicked voice makes him force his eyes open again.

He doesn't want to close them again, not of doing so makes Bucky look so scared.

"S'okay, Buck." Steve chokes out, he lifts his hand out of Bucky's to press it to the other man's cheek, he wonders how he does it when he can't feel his arm moving, "'M gonna...be...alright...like...always."

A little more blood spills out as Steve lies, he probably deserves that.

Steve lets his hand tangle in Bucky's hair, he wishes he could feel it, he misses Bucky's hair short but he likes it long too, likes everything about Bucky, always had, always would.

"Wanna draw...you." Steve mumbles as he felt himself drift down and away, "Wanna...draw you...when I...wake up." He mumbles as his eyes fall closed again.

"Yeah, but you gotta wake up." Bucky said and it sounded far away and sad, staticy and breaking.

"S'not...the...end, Buck." Steve forced his eyes eyes open, wanted to see Bucky's face one more time, he knew he was lying but he had to, had to reassure Bucky he'd be okay, make him not look so sad.

"Wanna...wanna see...you smile..., missed it." Steve said, hand sliding to let his thumb trace the corner of Bucky's mouth.

Bucky caught the hand in his and pressed a hard kiss to his palm, Steve wished he could feel it.

"S'good...'nough." Steve choked out and let his eyes drift closed before Bucky looked back at him, feeling more blood spill out.

"Steve! Stevie! Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" Bucky's voice shouted but it was drifting further away, so far and Steve couldn't even hear the murmur of Tony's voice anymore.

It was all fading away, no matter how Steve tried to cling to Bucky's voice. It all faded away until eventually there was only silence.

And that too was okay.

At least they had won.

Whatever it takes, Steve was alright with it being him, as long as it wasn't Bucky, not again.

They had won.

\--

A/n: as stated before this was inspired by a tumblr post about Thanos using the Reality Stone to take the Serum from Steve. I did not state that's what happened because I wanted it to be vague.

But i read the concept and i thought that even without the Serum Steve would fight because that's who he is and well Steve knows he can't win this but he can cause a distraction for Tony to get the Stones from Thanos without his noticing and so that's what Steve does.

And Tony lives for reasons unknown maybe because the Stones are using the energy from tbe Serum.

I do want to write a second chapter that has Steve living and maybe something from Tony's Pov but not right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Every one knows the story of Captain America, Tony perhaps a little better than most given his father's participation in his creation and the search after he crashed.

Part of Tony, a dark, angry part of Tony, is glad that Howard didn't live long enough to see that Captain America lived.

And Tony supposed that that was the root of everything.

He'd been so focused on Captain America that Tony had refused to see Steve Rogers and how far he'd go for his people, even when they turned on him, Tony had the phone and a promise to be there as proof.

And Tony had spent so much time being angry about Captain America lying to him that he'd refused to acknowledge that Steve Rogers just wanted to protect both of his friends.

But that old hurt didn't matter right now, there would be time for apologies after Thanos was gone.

Tony gaspee as he was tossed again, beginning to rise as Thanos turned to Captain America.

Tony hated how easily the man bounced back, like nothing touched him. Tony blasted an enemy away and turned back in time to see Cap' shrink, his uniform shrinking with him.

Tony had known Cap' was tiny before the Serum but knowing and seeing were two very different things, Cap' was almost smaller than Pepper, the Shield almost half his size even broken.

Thanos paused at the sight and then he spoke.

"You can walk away, I'll let you." He said.

Tony has no doubt that he'll be true to his word, he'll let Cap' walk away, let him run.

And Tony wants him to, wants to see the smaller man safe, they can manage without him.

Tony gets to his feet as Cap' looks at the Shield and Tony wonders what's going through his head.

There's determination in his eyes when he turns back to Thanos, a smile on his lips.

"I don't like bullies." Steve said and Tony realized that Steve and Captain America were two very different people and he knows almost nothing about Steve in the same way he knows so much about Captain America.

Steve gets thrown across the field as Tony fights his way to them, even from the distance Tony can see that Steve lands bad and Tony wills him to stay down.

Wills Steve to know that they've got this, they can handle it from here, he can rest, stay down.

But Steve gets up, shaky and Tony sees a grimace of pain as he rises, watches Steve drop the Shield as Tony's fingers ghost over the Gauntlet Thanos wears, as the Stones jumps ship to Tony's own Glove.

Steve puts his arms up, swaying a bit as Tony pulls back to adjust the Glove he wears.

"I can do this all day." Steve gasped out, a hitch in his breath and blood in his grin.

And Tony never really knew Steve Rogers at all did he, if he feels surprised at the sight? Tony can't help but stare incredulously at him, all small and fragile and broken and still fighting for what he knew was right.

Thanos turns away from Steve's swaying figure to the place where Tony stands watching the blond man.

Thanos shifts his Gauntlet on his hand before lifting it as he stares at Tony, gaining Tony's attention.

"I am inevitable." Thanos tells him as he makes his Snap.

And nothing happens because Tony has the Stones and a small burning is making it's way up his arm, nothing like the pain he expected after seeing Bruce wield the Gauntlet but that's a thought for another time.

Tony grins as he looks at Thanos, raising his own hand, showing the Stones there.

"And I am Ironman." And Tony Snaps.

And Thanos' army falls to dust, Thanos the last of them.

For a moment Tony stares up at the sky in relief, he's alive, they won, and he's alive.

He lets out a laugh and the Stones burn angrily so the laugh turns to a pained shout and Tony shout and Tony throws the Glove from his hand.

Tony turns to grin at Steve, to revel in their victory together, but Steve's falling and Tony runs to catch him, trying to guide him gently to the ground.

"Cap'." It's reflex to call him that and Tony hears a weak laugh and blood scatters along the arm of his Suit and Tony knows that's not good.

"Not Captain... America...'nymore." Steve pauses to breath, "No Serum."

Tony has to force himself to breath as he carefully rearranges Steve against his chest.

He tries to be gentle but Steve keeps making pained noises that Tony isn't sure he knows he's making.

For a moment Tony kneels there, bracing Steve against his chest, hoping that the smaller man can breathe, wondering if it's the asthma he read about or if it's something worse because Steve did get Thanos' fist to his chest.

Tony feels Steve slump further against him and he panics a bit, nanotech retreating as his fingers touch his ear comm to speak.

"Barnes, if you're there, get here quick." Tony says and he ignores all the questions that follow because he's trying to get Steve to open his eyes again.

"Steve!" Barnes yells as he sees them and in Tony's arms Steve jerks, moaning painfully as he cracks his eyes open, blue eyes focusing on Barnes as the other man runs to them, crashing to his knees with the rest of the Avengers, old and new behind him.

Steve grins, in relief, Tony realizes, like he's seeing the world in full color for the first time and Tony is so damn stupid.

Barnes isn't just a friend, he's Steve's Pepper and Tony messed up, of course Steve would chose Barnes over him, just like Tony would chose Pepper over everything else.

"Buck." Steve cough, half gags as he stares up at Barnes.

And, yeah, that's love, full blown, flowers every weekend just because, love.

Tony has to look away, the way Barnes is looking at Steve is private but Tony doesn't want to move, doesn't dare because Steve's in a bad way and they all can tell, even with the way Steve is trying to hide it.

Tony's eyes meet Wilson's curious but pained gaze.

The man drops to his knees next to Steve on the side opposite Barnes, he doesn't reach for Steve's hand, Barnes is clutching the one that's not a mangled mess.

"Thanos took the Serum, had to have, and he just kept getting back up." Tony says quietly, brushing Steve's hair off his forehead.

The man's gaze doesn't shift and Tony wonders if Steve even felt him do it.

"I had...had him...on the...ropes." Steve gasps out, slow and broken.

"Sure you did." Barnes forces out a laugh that's more of a sob, metal hand wiping away the tears that gather in his eyes.

Part of Tony wants to fiddle with that arm, wants to make a better one but now is not the time.

Steve falls silent, nothing but the ragged sound of his lungs trying to work, the rasp and stutter of his breathing.

Tony's eyes search the gathered people until his eyes lock on Strange but before he can say anything Steve coughs in his arms, gagging and choking, blood spilling out of his mouth and that's worse than a bit of blood splattered on his arm.

Tony hears a couple of gasps, of choked and silenced sobs from the crowd but he ignores it as he shifts Steve up, Barnes slipping his arm around Steve's shoulders as Wilson's settle behind Steve's neck, both of men slipping closer, knees meeting at the small of Steve's back, bracing the smaller man with their entire bodies and never once does Barnes release Steve's hand.

Tony rocks up to his feet, Pepper's hand brushing his unburnt one in question but letting him move on to Strange.

"There has to be something you can do, you were a doctor!" Tony ends up yelling.

"Tony." Strange starts, stops and his hands move and orange magic floats over Steve's skin.

Strange's eyes grow sadder, if possible as Barnes yells.

"Hey! Hey! Steve, Stevie, look at me. Stevie, come on." There's panic and fear in that voice and so much pain and Tony's heart hurts to hear it.

He remembers finding a faded report, one about a train and a Commando killed in action and the tear stains splattered all along the paper and Tony can't help but wonder if Steve made that same noise when he lost Barnes that very first time.

"S'okay, Buck." Steve whispers out, barely there really and his hand somehow makes it to Barnes' cheek as Tony watches, as they all watch in pained silence.

"'M gonna...be alright...like...always." Steve says.

It's painful hearing Steve trying to reassure Barnes when they all know Steve os dying, when they all knew Steve was lying.

Who knew right?

Steve's hand ends up in Barnes' hair, tangles in the long strands.

"Wanna draw...you." Steve mumbles, slurs really, eyelids falling down, "Wanna...draw you...when I...wake up." And Steve' eyes fall closed.

Part of Tony wonders if this is it, if Steve's last words are going to be about something so simple as drawing Barnes, if it's going to be making plans that aren't going to happen.

"Yeah, but you gotta wake up." Barnes says and those are tears that are falling and Tony wants to look away as he hears Barnes' voice break but he can't, none of them can and almost all of them are crying too, even Wilson but the man isn't shaking, probably doesn't dare for Steve's sake.

"S'not...the end, Buck." Steve whispers as his eyes flutter open, it looks like it takes effort, like it takes the last bit of Steve's strength.

"Wanna...wanna see...you smile..., missed it." Steve murmurs, thumb falling to trace the corner of Barnes' mouth, like he could get the man to smile by touching there.

Barnes grabbed Steve's hand and pressed his lips to it's center, eyes clenched tightly closed as tears spilled down his cheeks.

Steve's fingers twitched and Tony found himself wondering if Steve could even feel this final kiss.

"S'good...'nough." Steve slurred out as he let his eyes close while Tony watched, Barnes' face still pressed against Steve's palmas Steve's body went limp and blood gushed out of his mouth.

"Steve! Stevie! Don't you dare! Don't you dare!" Barnes shouted as he felt Steve go limp in his and Wilson's arms.

Barnes' eyes were wide as he pulled Steve to his chest, away from Wilson who had let his hands cover his mouth to catch his own sounds.

Barnes' eyes met Tony's as he clutched at Steve's small form.

"Help him, please, please, I can't, I can't...." Barnes' face buried itself in Steve's hair.

Tony felt at a loss, empty and for once his brain was silent, what could he do?

'Whatever it takes.' Steve had said, Tony wondered if Steve would have been okay with this, with dying for them to win.

'Whatever it takes.' Tony should have said no but he'd wanted Peter back, needed to risk it.

'Whatever it takes.' 

It had taken Natasha, it was taking Steve.

Was it worth it? Tony wondered, unable to look away from Barnes as he broke from his loss.

'Whatever it takes.' Steve had said.

And Tony wondered if it had just been Steve wanting to be with Barnes, no matter what side of life they ended up on.

"Stark!" A little girl's voice shattered the stillness, "Stark!"

Tony turned to see the kid sister of Wakanda's king racing towards him.

"I need your nanotech, Stark!" She shrieked as she ran, not slowing down a bit.

Tony didn't think about why she needed it as he gathered it in his hand for her to grab as she passed him, skidding to her knees next to Steve, shoving Wilson out of her way.

Tony wasn't sure what she did with it but she looked at them after a moment before speaking.

"We have to get him to Wakanda immediately, preferably the Medical area." She told them as she rose up to her feet.

Tony heard Strange open a portal as Thor gathered Steve carefully in his arms, though Barnes seemed reluctant to release Steve.

The princess told him they would be going into surgery as soon as they arrived and Barnes couldn't go with Steve.

So, Barnes let Thor take Steve and Wilson helped Barnes to his feet, supporting the other man as they followed the young lady and Thor through the portal.

Tony glanced at Pepper, who gave a nod, before he followed them along with Bruce and Clint before Strange stepped through after them, the Doctor rushing after the stretcher that Thor had settled Steve on.

That left them standing watching their leader being rushed away.

There was hope, a small hope, Tony thought, but it was enough, had to be.

'Whatever it takes.' Tony thought as he watched the others sit, Wilson trying to get Barnes to join him only for the man to shake his head and come to join Tony at the doorway that Wakanda's princess had taken Steve through.

Tony glanced at Barnes and felt his heart ache for the man, knowing that there was a chance that Steve might not make it.

'I'll do whatever it takes to never see this look on Barnes' face again.' Tony thought to himself, it was a look he'd seen on Steve's face when the man had watched him reunite with Pepper after the first Snap, like he wished that he was in his place, holding on to the ones he loved but also like he was trying to be hopeful when there was nothing left to be hopeful about.

Even if he had to apologize to the man later, now was definitely not the time for that, and get a medical degree, Tony never wanted to feel so helpless again, and he never wanted to see this look on any of his friends' faces.

'Whatever it takes.' Tony thought as he turned back to the silent doorway.

Tony hoped that it wouldn't take Steve, if only for Barnes' sake.

\---

A/n: so I wanted to do 'whatever it takes' from Tony's pov and it.. I feel like it's almost sadder than the one in Steve's pov even with the hopeful ending.

I feel like it would shock Tony to realize that Steve and Bucky are more than friends and Tony totally starts studying for that medical degree because he doesn't want to be unable to help his friends again.

I do have a third chapter that I wrote but I'm not sure I like it really so let me know if you want me to add it.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything hurts is the first thing Steve thinks when he becomes aware, even his eyelids seem to ache and he didn't know that they could.

He wants to open his eyes, wants to see where he is and what that annoying beeping os but awareness is already slipping away again and Steve is too tired to fight it and so, for the first time in his life, he doesn't.

The next time awareness comes everything still hurts but Steve hears Bucky's voice talking to him, asking him to wake up, so Steve struggles through the tiredness dragging him down.

His eyes open slowly and Bucky's there, not looking at him, holding his hand in his, Steve's knuckles set against Bucky's lips, eyes closed and praying for Steve to just wake up.

Bucky looks different than Steve's fuzzy mind recalls, though his placement at his bedside is per the norm.

"Had the strangest dream, Buck." Steve mumbles, voice raspy and Bucky startles.

He presses something as he shifts closer to Steve, for him to see him better.

"What kind of dream, Stevie?" Bucky asks, voice soft, relieved as he always is when one of Steve's illnesses pass.

"Weird one. 'Were robots 'nd Aliens 'nd 'puters." Steve slurred, "'Nd Hydra made you forget me."

"Steve." Bucky started.

"Why 'm I so tired, Buck?" Steve asked even as he started to fall asleep again.

"Hey, go on, I'll be right here when you wake up." Bucky promised, the usual note of love hidden in his words.

Steve smiled a little, "Always are, Bucky."

"Yeah." Bucky whispered against his forehead, usually they saved those kisses for home and not hospitals, Steve must have been really sick this time.

Steve hummed as he fell asleep to the murmur of Bucky talking to the doctor, though how the doctor knew Steve was awake Steve didn't know, maybe a nurse had peaked in on them.

The next time Steve woke he's a little more aware of things, he feels a little embarrassed about his previous awakening though he knows he shouldn't but Bucky's there as promised though he's asleep on a cot near Steve's bed with Steve's unbroken left hand held in his.

Steve can't help smiling at him and the fact that Bucky's there to hold his hand, it worked, they got their people back.

"He hasn't left your side." Someone whispers or no, they are just on the wrong side.

Steve turns his head, both to look at the man and to hear him better.

"Tony." Steve says.

Tony offers him some ice chips and Steve wonders why not water but he's thirsty but doesn't want to wake Bucky so he doesn't argue.

Tony sets the cup back on the table and looks at Steve.

"How you feeling, Cap'?" Tony asks, folding his hands in his lap and Steve sees the scattering of burn scars that travel up the man's right hand.

Steve frowns a little at the nickname, "Serum's gone. I'm not Captain America anymore."

"Yeah, you are, I think you were Captain America long before the Serum." Tony admitted looking away from Steve.

Steve hummed as he stared at Tony.

"I feel floaty." Steve admitted when the man looked back at him.

"Floaty?" Tony laughed, eyes crinkling at the edges, it was nice to hear him laugh again.

"Dunno." Steve shrugged a little, "I'm not in pain, I don't think."

Tony laughed a little, "I should hope not, Shuri's got you on the good stuff." 

"We win?" Steve had to ask, his memories were a little spotty after the Serum was taken, he thinks he might have hit his head. He remembers Tony getting the Stones but nit much after that except Bucky's face and his tears and the taste of copper in his mouth.

"Yeah, we won." Tony said softly, placing a hand on Steve's arm, Steve wished his hand wasn't in a cast so he could return the hold, "Thanos is gone and the Stones are back where they belong." Tony assured him.

"Nat'?" Steve asked because maybe, maybe if they had returned the Soul Stone they got her back, but Steve knew it was a foolish hope, but the world was rocking a little, like a hammock in the breeze and Steve k ew he was going to fall asleep again soon.

"She's with Clint." Tony said softly, Steve almost didn't hear him, "He dragged her off for some family bonding and she took Bruce with her and Thor tagged along, they'll be by later this week now that you're waking up." Tony explained, "It was my turn to bring Barnes his daily bread and make him get his nap."

Steve felt a smile cross his face at the joke, he was glad that Nat was back and that everyone seemed okay.

Steve's eyes drooped for a moment before he forced them open.

"Pep'? Pet'r?" Steve tried to ask but the world was drifting away.

"They're safe, well, not sure about Peter because he and Shuri are best friends now with Ned and MJ and Harley and those girls are terrifying and Pepper won't let me ground a princess and Shuri just laughs and steals my daughter and ...." Tony's words slid together into background noise as Steve fell back into sleep, but hearing Tony ramble again was nice.

The next time Steve woke people were yelling, for a moment Steve considered just pressing his good ear to his pillow and going back to sleep but he figured he'd been sleeping enough and so he should wake up for a bit.

Steve blinked his eyes and stared at the little girl sitting next to his hip drawing, for a moment he couldn't place her, was she a random child, but no, those were Tony's hands curled around her crayons.

"What'ch'a drawing?" Steve asked softly.

The little girl looked up and, yeah, this kid was Tony's, no mistaking those eyes set in Miss Pepper's face.

"You." She told him.

"Can I see?" He asked, eyes flickering to the group still yelling off to the side, they couldn't hear them over the noise they were making so Steve decided to ignore them, though he wanted to call Bucky over.

Steve looked back at girl who held her drawing book to her chest, looking shy about her art.

"It's okay if you don't want to." Steve assured her with a smile as he scooted himself to a more upright position, his back ached but it didn't hurt quite the way it used to before the Serum and there was some type of cast on his torso so Steve ended up more upright than laying down, leaning against the wall behind him.

The movement took his breath away and he had to count his breaths until it was back to even, this he remembered keenly, he had not missed it.

The little girl watched him and shifted, she moved to sit on his right side, in the vee of his arm and side. She settled her art book on her lap, face down before she reached over for the cup on the table, she held the cup for him while he picked out a few ice chips, before putting the cup back on the table.

"Thank you, little miss." Steve said.

She giggled, "My name is Morgan."

"Morgan, that's a very nice name." Steve told her.

Morgan stared up at him and goodness, that look was almost all Tony.

"It's not very good." She said as she fiddled with her book.

It took Steve a moment to remember what she was talking about.

"Bet it's pretty good." Steve told her, in his opinion as long as it was something you liked and were proud of all art was good, it was just a matter of perspective and taste.

She looked at him and then nodded, "Okay." She said and turned her book over.

It was a childish drawing of a person, not a stick figure but not quite a proportionate human either, the legs were a bit too long and the arms were at odd angles. The person had a circle drawn on one arm and a line was draw from the other, connecting to a rectangle shape, they were meant to be Steve's Shield and Thor's Hammer based on the color scheme or what Steve supposed the color scheme was.

Honestly Steve could see how the girl might see it as flawed but in Steve's eyes it was beautiful.

"Pretty good, like I told you." Steve smiled at Morgan, "Better than anything I can draw right now anyway."

"Mr. Bucky says you're an artist." Morgan frowned up at him.

Steve laughed softly, "If you let be borrow a page in your book I'll prove it."

The girl nodded, pigtails bouncing.

She turned to a blank page and shifted closer so Steve could reach the page and she could watch, and she handed him a crayon, a red one if Steve was reading the tiny word printed on the wrapper right.

With his left hand Steve began sketching an outline of Ironman, it was shaky, his hand not quite cooperating with directions.

He finished and signed it because he always signed his work because 'that's what artist do, punk.'

Morgan looked at it as Steve wrote out Ironman by Steve Rogers at the top of the page in careful script, the lines not quite straight like he meant them to be.

She laughed delightfully when he finished.

"It looks like Baymax." She grinned.

"I told you, yours was better." Steve grinned back, ignoring the sudden quiet from across the roo.

The girl looked at his drawing and then back at him.

"You were right." She giggled.

"What he failed to mention, Baby Stark, is that he's right handed." Bucky told her from the foot of the bed.

She looked from Bucky to him with the biggest frowny face that Steve had ever seen and that face was definitely Tony's.

Steve couldn't help winking at her and pressing his finger to his lips.

She stared at him and then the casted hand that rested near her hip.

"I'll practice and be better than you when you can use your other hand again." She promised.

Bucky laughed as he walked around the bed to sit next to Steve, "Stark will love that."

"Love what?" Tony asked as he and the others began to drift over.

Natasha, with her hair newly cut to her chin again, Clint with his hair growing out again, Thor with his beard neatly trimmed and tamed, Bruce with his odd half transformation, right arm in a sling, Sam with a wide grin, Peter bouncing on the balls of his feet as he and Shuri talked in the weird language young ones seemed to have and Pepper standing next to Tony smiling at him.

Steve smiled back, his family was whole and it might grow but he had the core of it back and that was worth everything he had lost.

"I'm going to be an artist like Uncle Steve." Morgan shouted as she stood on the bed, Steve reached to steady her but Bucky was there first and then she was launching herself at Tony who caught her and hugged her tight before settling her on his hip, Pepper pressing a kiss to her hair.

Steve smiled, it was nice that Tony had gotten his family, he deserved it.

"Is that so?" Tony asked with a grin as he tapped Morgan's nose.

"Yep, I'm going to be great." Morgan crowed.

"I'm sure you are." Tony squeezed her and then turned to Steve, "How we doing, Steve?"

Steve looked at him, feeling Bucky sit down on the bed next to him, hand going to the spot between his shoulders and rubbing gently.

"A little sore, I guess, my hand's a little unsteady," Steve held his hand flat and they all watched the hand shake, "But nothing feels too bad, no worse than I remember anyway." Steve admitted, normally he wouldn't but only Bucky had any type of reference for how he used to be and Steve wasn't sure if he remembered everything so he told the truth.

"Steve." Shuri began forcing his attention to her where she stood at the end of his bed, "I'm going to need you to wiggle your toes."

"My toes?" Steve asked, confused.

Shuri nodded, "You broke your back and we had to do a few major surgeries on you in a very short span of time in order to keep you alive, normally we wouldn't, not even with permission from next of kin." Shuri nodded at Bucky, "But we did, so I need you to wiggle your toes."

"Oh." Steve said softly and he couldn't help looking at Bucky.

"I..., Steve..." Bucky started.

"Yeah, me too." Steve said, because there wasn't a thing Steve wouldn't do to keep Bucky with him just that one second longer.

There was a moment of silence before Tony broke it.

"Hey, if you can't wiggle your toes then I get dibs on making your wheelchair, maybe I should make one anyway, you want it to fly, I can make it fly." Tony told him, nudging his shoulder as he sat down in a chair on the right side of the bed, shifting Morgan to his lap and Bucky look Steve's left hand in his own left hand.

Steve laughed, he couldn't help it, because the look on Shuri's face when Tony called dibs on making his wheelchair told him that there was going to be a major wheelchair making competition if he needed one.

Maybe he and Bucky could race them to test them out.

Steve calmed down, and Morgan held out his ice chips and Steve smiled at her as he took the cup, Bucky dipping his fingers into the ice water for the shards of frozen water.

"You two are adorable." Natasha grinned from her seat on Bruce's lap.

"Scott owe me twenty bucks." Clint said, "O told him you two were ridiculously married, like, Laura and I, awesome Marriage, I would do anything for her and the kids, but I think maybe I might draw the line at fighting the entire world, maybe." Clint frowned in thought.

"Barton, you went on a murder-spree after you wife got dusted, I'm pretty sure she's like ninety percent of your impulse control." Tony said, "I now have her on speed dial to get her to tell you no."

Clint frowned at Tony, "That's fair."

Steve snickered, he had missed this, the easy jokes and lightness that they used to have with each other before everything had started to sour, even though he hadn't meant it to, he'd just wanted his best guy back and it hadn't been fair to make Tony ignore what Bucky had been forced to do so Steve hadn't told him, it had been a mistake, Steve knew that now but he was allowed those wasn't he?

"Steve." Shuri said softly.

Steve looked at her and nodded.

He looked at his toes and he willed them to move. He frowned when they didn't, he needed to wiggle his toes, he had to, what if Bucky had a nightmare and Steve couldn't get to him?

"Hey." Bucky's voice broke his concentration.

Steve looked at Bucky who wrapped his arm around his shoulder's.

"Don't hurt yourself pushing it, alright, I'm not going anywhere if you can't walk anymore." Bucky told him gently, "Sickness and health, remember?"

Steve stared at Bucky and felt tears in his eyes, "Wasn't sure you did."

"I do. We got this." Bucky pressed his forehead to Steve's.

Steve nodded, "I wanna try again, my hand moved a little bit after I wanted it to, got a bit of a delay between thought and movement there, maybe I just got a movement delay, what's one more thing?"

"As long as you're alive, it's nothing, sweetheart." Bucky promised.

"We got this." Steve whispered.

Bucky nodded and pulled back so Steve could look at his toes again.

He focused on the and tried to move them again, everyone silent while Steve concentrated on moving his toes.

They wiggled, it hurt so Steve stopped and it took too long in Steve's opinion but they moved at least.

Steve let out the breath he'd been holding.

"It took a moment." Shuri said softly, Steve almost didn't hear her.

"Yeah." Steve agreed, "You might want to make that chair though, it hurt." Steve admitted.

Shuri looked surprised, "You should not be feeling any pain, I have you on a dosage that should cover everything."

"It doesn't, my back hurts a bit and my lungs feel..." Steve frowned, searching for the right word but settled instead, "they feel squished."

"Alright, I can work with that, we'll adjust your brace a bit, is it something we need to do now?" Shuri asked.

Steve shook his head, he didn't want to do it now, didn't want strangers around him, didn't want Shuri to make his family leave.

She seemed to understand and nodded, and then she smiled, "Good job on wiggling your toes."

Steve stared at her as the group let out their cheers, "What's so big about that? A two year old can do it."

"Steve." Shuri paused as the others quieted down, though Tony was vibrating in his seat, probably wanting to get a head start on designing Steve's wheelchair, "How long do you think it's been since the Battle?"

The others glanced at one another silently but Steve ignored them.

"A week, maybe two." Steve told them.

"Oh." Everyone said.

"Steve." Bucky touched his hand to get his attention, "It's been three months. Shuri put you in a medical coma for the first two so you could heal some, they had to re-break your hand a few times to reset it and there were so many surgeries I don't even remember all of them. Shuri weened you off the meds that were keeping you asleep and you should have woken you about a week once they were out of your system. But you didn't." Bucky took a breath, "We thought... I thought... Steve..."

Bucky's hands buried themselves in Steve's hair and he didn't finish, so Steve did.

"You thought I wasn't going to wake up." He said softly.

"Should have known better." Bucky said against his temple before pressing a kiss there as Steve clutched at Bucky's shirt when the man pulled him to his chest, tucking Steve's head beneath his chin.

It was a familiar position and it was one of the things Steve had missed the most after the Serum, he just hadn't fit right after, even before all of the future nonsense.

"I'm okay, Bucky, we're okay." Steve whispered, he couldn't hear the words but he knew Bucky could, "We got time now."

"Yeah, finally." Bucky muttered to his good ear.

"What about my Shield?" Steve asked suddenly, pulling away from Bucky slightly.

Tony laughed, "Yeah, we got that, Morgan helped me fix it, didn't you kiddo?" 

Pepper looked up from what she was typing on her phone, probably Stark Industries nonsense.

"Our daughter did what, now?" Pepper asked calmly.

"Did I say helped, I meant watched, from a very safe distance behind a wall." Tony said quickly.

"Mhm, Morgan?" Pepper asked, looking at her daughter.

"Daddy let me hold the blow torch and Peter painted it." Morgan said honestly.

Steve giggled.

"Traitor." Tony muttered and he squeezed the little girl close while Peter ran to get the Shield from the other side of the room, coming back and dropping it on Steve's lap.

"Sorry, sorry, you said you hurt, oh gid,bi hurt Captain America." Peter said and buried his face in his hands.

Steve stared at him, slightly bemused before he looked at the Shield. Tony had left the fissures where Thanos had broken it and Steve traced over them gently.

They were his mark on the Shield and Steve watched his fingers slowly move over the shallow grooves.

He smiled, he could hear Tony speaking vaguely, a discussion about how he could still be Captain America. But Steve didn't want to. He was tired, he was done with the fighting, done with the loss, he wanted to spend time with Bucky, wanted to teach Morgan how to draw.

Steve let his fingers stop at the edge of the Shield, he'd left his mark with it, on it, it was time for someone else to make their own.

Steve looked up and he smiled at them all, he knew that they would be shocked but he also knew that they would support his choice.

"Sam." Steve looked at his friend, his brother who had followed him from one disaster to another and had stood by his side.

Sam looked at him and smiled and Steve knew he was making the right choice, Sam deserved this, maybe more than Steve had, Sam had earned the Shield.

"Catch." Steve said, and it was still as easy as breathing to toss the Shield, although maybe that wasn't the right phrase considering that Steve probably had asthma again.

Sam caught the Shield, fumbling it slightly, surprised at the fact that Steve had thrown it to him.

"What?" Sam asked as he shifted the Shield in his hands.

Steve smiled at the man.

"Looks good, what do you think, Buck?" Steve glanced at Bucky.

Bucky looked at Steve, mouth aga, shocked like Steve had expected, like the rest of them were, although Peter and Shuri looked absolutely excited.

Bucky turned to look at Sam and then to Steve, after a moment he seemed to understand what Steve was trying to tell him without speaking and he looked back to Sam, leaning back against the headboard, drawing Steve with him, tucking Steve into his side.

"He'll grow into it." Bucky said with a grin.

Sam looked down at the Shield with a slight frown and Steve wondered if he was going to refuse.

Sam looked up, "I'm not keeping the outfit." He informed them.

The group burst into laughter and Sam couldn't stop grinning.

It took a moment for everyone to calm down and Bucky rubbed his fingers up and down Steve's side to help him down from his own excitement.

Soon enough the group began to discuss what had been going on the last three months, the recovery efforts, the therapy sessions, the regrouping and helping everyone everyone find a new equilibrium.

Steve understood that they were doing this here in order to include him and it was nice of them.

But it was nicer when little miss Morgan climbed up next to him from Tony's lap to settle against his side to draw next to him beneath his arm, it was nicer when Shuri and Peter climbed onto the bed to sit at his feet, talking in words that Steve knew were english but did not understand what they meant in the way the two used it.

The rest of them scooted their chairs closer, Pepper taking Morgan's spot on Tony's lap and handing him a Stark Pad as she curled her arms around his shoulders.

Natasha started putting small braids in Thor's hair as Clint, Sam, and Bruce discussed something or another.

They shifted over as other's came to say hi now that Steve was awake, some, like Wanda and T'Challa joined them for a while, others came and left after they said their hellos and get wells, Steve didn't hear a lot of them because of his hearing but he smiled at everyone that came.

At one point Morgan put her art book on the side table and curled up against him and fell asleep, and Steve smiled and almost wished she was on his other side so he could pet her hair but he liked that Bucky was on that side, because the beat of his heart was echoing in his ear where Steve was resting against Bucky's chest, Bucky's arm around his shoulder, fingers threading through his hair.

Steve could feel his eyes growing heavy, the voices becoming murmur of sounds blending together indistinguishably, the vibration of Bucky speaking, to him or someone else Steve wasn't sure, but it made Steve sink further down into the softness that awaited him.

The last thing Steve felt before he drifted off was Morgan pressing her face harder into his side as she tried to get closer and Bucky's fingers carding through his hair.

He's glad that they didn't take this from him.

He's glad that saving the world didn't take his family.

\---

A/n: so, third chapter, i honestly did not intend for it to be this long, half of this was not in the first draft I wrote up but there you have it.

Family fluff.

And Natasha lives damnit.

I just love the idea of Sam being Captain America but I can't really see him in the same Uniform so... Also a throw back to Bucky asking about the outfit in the first Captain America but Sam has no idea about that.

And yeah Steve and Bucky have a long road but the have time now, and Shuri and Tony but mostly time.

And yeah I implied they are married and then forgot about it till now. They had a ceremony in Nazi Germany with Phillips as an officiate, Peggy as the best man and the Commandoes as flower girls, to much grumbling, technically they are the first gay couple to be married officially because Peggy absolutely filed their marriage certificate as soon as it became legal in each and every state as they legalized it.

After she was retired she passed the necessary paperwork to a then probationary Agent Coulson who made sure to follow her footsteps in filing the paperwork.

Hope you enjoyed.


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